Mechanical horse



C. M. DAHL.

MECHANICAL HORSE.

APPLICATION FILED oc.13l 1919.

1,369,628, l Patented Feb. 22,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- IIIIIMHIIII lc. M. DAHL. MECHANICAL HORSE. 'APPLICATION FILED OCT. I3 l9I9.

Patented Feb.22,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 CHARLES MELVIN DAHL, 0F CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA.

MECHANICAL HORSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application lrled OctoberY 13. 1919. Serialxlzo; 330,178. *l

To all fwaom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. DAHL, a citiz'enpof the United States, residing at Charlottesville, in the county of Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Horses, of which the following is aspecification. l

This invention has reference to mechanical toys. Y y

An object of theinvention is to produceva toy in the form of a four-footed animal and which is pedal actuated by a child seated thereon toV impart a combined oscillatory and reciprocatory movement to the legs of the toy, causing the same to be propelled in `a forward direction and the movement of the legs of the toy to similate a walking or running movement of the animal which the toy represents.

It is a further object of the invention to arrangement of parts such asis illustrated by the accompanying drawings, it being understood, however, that the nature of the invention is such as to render the same susceptible to modifications, especially-in shape,

size and proportion, such modifications fallinfr within the scope of what is claimed.

n the drawings:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a mechanical toy constructed in accordance with this invention, parts being broken away and parts being in section. Y I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view approxlmately on the line 2-2 of 1g. 1, on an enlarged scale. l

Fig. 3 is a sectional view. approximately on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

.Fig 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the lower or hoof portion of one of the rear legs of the toy showing in elevation the roller member journaled thereon andthe clutch meansrfor preventing the turning .ofl Ythe rollerin one direction.

F 1g.` 6 isa sectional view approximately on the line 6-.6 of Fig. 5.

It' is to be understoodthat the body. of the toy may be in the shape and form of any ,four-footed animal, and for convenience I which pass the front legs 10-'10v and 11--111 respectively. These leg members have their lower end or hoof portions bifurcated and Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

through the said bifurcations pass shafts 1.2 for rollers 13, the said rollers having peripheral grooves which receive therein compresslble, preferably rubber tires 14, so

that the toy may be propelled over smooth surfaces, such as the floor of a room, without imparting injury thereto.

The shaft 12 of the rear legs 11, and also those of the front legs 10, if desired, have keyed thereon a wheel or roller l5 that is received in a round opening vin the center or hub Aportion of the roller`l3. The referred to opening in the roller is indicated by the-numeral 16, andthe wall provided thereby is formed with equi-distantly spaced depressionsY providing inner curved walls 17 that atvthe deepest portions of the depressions terminate in straight shoulders 18. In these'depressions are metal rolls 19. These elements constitute a clutch, as it will beapparent that when the Vmetal rolls 19 contact with the shoulders 18 the main rollers 13 are free to revolve uponthe shafts 13 in one direction, but a movement of. ther said main Arollers 'in an opposite directionl will causethe metallic rolls 19 to travel upon the arcuate walls 17 and to exert a binding action against said walls and against the periphery of the wheels 15.

The front legs 10 and the rear legs 11 are independently connected to crank shafts.

The crank shafts for the rear legs are indicated by the'nurnerals 20, the same having their central straight portions 21 journaled in suitable bearings 22 that are secured each to one ofv a pair of longitudinally extending bars 23 in the hollow body7. These bars 23 are connected at both their front and rearV ends by transverse bars or cleats 24 and 25 respectively, the said cleats being also secured to the sides of the body 7. The bearings 21, upon the lower or undersurfaces thereof are slotted as at 26 and through these slots pass arms 27 formed on the straight portion 2l of the crank shafts. By referv,ence to thedrawings, especially Fig. 4 thereof, it will be seen that the shafts 20 have both of their ends provided with oppositely directed L-,shaped portions or cranks, and the `innercranks are indicated by the numerals -28, the outer cranks, or the cranks nearest the sides or body being received through suitable openings, as previously stated, .in the upper portion of the rear legs 11.

The arms 27 preferably have their outer lends bifurcated or U-shaped as indicated by the numerals 29 and in these said ends there is pivotally secured, as at 30,

' pitmen 3l. Each pitman 31 has its free end pivotally secured to the crank end 32 of a shaft 33. The'shafts 33 are in longitudinal alinement andare each journaled in a suitable bearing 34 that is secured uponthe bottom 'member of the hollow body 7. The

,shafts 33 pass through suitable openings in the sides of the body 7, and vto these projecting ends are secured cranks or pedal members 35.

On the rear legs 11 are lugs 36 which, if

desired, may be surrounded by rolling sleeves. These lugs are received in the slots 37 of plates 38 that are secured to the sides ofthe hollow body 7. v v The pedals are disposed at opposite angles or'inclinations on the opposite sides of the Ybody and the operator, by pressure of his feet thereon imparts-a partial rotary movement thereto, sufcient to Vswing or oscillate the crank shafts 33, which through the me- 40 dium of their link connections with the arms 27 of the crank shafts 21 impart a swinging movement in opposite directions to the legs 11. Because of the arrangement of the lugs 36 in the slots 37 ofthe plates 38, a slight 'vertical movement is imparted to the said .legs on the operation of thepedals which permits they rollers carried by the legs at all times contactingthe ground surface. The lugs 36 provide movable pivots for the legs. The construction is such that the rear legs move in reverse directions, but move simul- V taneously land the clutch mechanismV between the ground rollers and the hoof portions ofthe legs Vpermit of the said legs being moved freely, or more strictly speaking Y permit of the ground rollers being freely The crank shafts for the forward legs 10,v

`has its ends providedwith oppositely extending crank portions which are substantially L-shaped, and tothe outer crank portions 44 of the said shafts the upper portions of the front legs 10 are pivotally connected. The inner substantially L-shaped ends or crank portions of the shafts 39, which are indicated by the numerals 46 have their outer angle end provided with ball heads 47 and these heads receive ,cup-shaped bearings 48 secured to the ends of power imparting rods 49 and 5() respectively. `The ends of the rods 49 and 50 are pivotally connected in one end of the yoke 51, while in the opposite end of the said yoke there is pivotally connected similar power imparting rods 52 and 53 respectively. These last mentionedrods are in reality7 extensions of the iirst mentioned rods, but it is necessary, as

will presently be apparent that the power imparting rods comprise pivoted sections. The rods 52 and 53 are connected to the outer angle ends of the crank members 28 on the respective shaftsr2l for the rear legs. By the above construction it Y will beV apparent that when the pedals are actuated to impart movement to the rear legs l1, a similar movement will be imparted tothe.v fore legs 10.V The arms 41 of the U-shaped member on which the shafts 39 are pivoted have .their upper ends connected to a second U- shaped member which is positioned reversely to the first mentioned U-shaped member. This last mentioned member is broadly indicated by the numeral 54 and the vdepending sides or Varms 55 .thereof have elongated slots 56 therethrough, thev said slots being arranged opposite similar slots 57 inthe arms 41. The leg members 10 are provided with laterally extending lugs 58 which are preferably round in cross sectionand which may have their ends surrounded passes through a round bearing opening 60 in the neck portion of the figure. 0n the post 59 is a washer 61 that bears against a boss or enlargement 62 on the frame for the front leg and also bears against the inner wall at the neck portion of the'ligure so that the pintle 43 is at alltimes retained in its bearing opening. The post extends a suitable distance outward of the figure and has its outer end provided with a laterally extending handle 63, and the turning of this handle by the operator will, of course, turn the legs 10 angularly with respect to the'body 7 and consequently direct the angle movement of the toy. By providing the ball and socket joints between the power or push rods 49 and 50 and the crank shafts for the fore legs these members are brought only slightly out of longitudinal alinement with their eXtensions 52 and 53 when the front legs are turned.

The animal ligure has its head portion provided with the usual bracket and the reins therefor may be left free or attached to the handle 63. The ligure is also provided with a saddle directly abovev the pedals. This saddle is in the nature of a removable element, being indicated by the numeral 64 which has its outer portion flanged so that the body thereof is considerably thickened and the said body is received in an opening 65 in the top of the hollow body portion 7 of the ligure. By removing the saddle access may be obtained to the interior of the figure so'that any repairs required to the mechanism therein may be easily accomplished. Y

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. A movable toy including a hollow body and a pair of forward and a pair of rear legs having their upper portions received in the body, pedals on the opposite sides of the body connected to shafts having angle inner I ends, said shafts journaled in bearings 1n the body, a crank shaft journaled in bearings in the body for each of the respective legs, a lug on each of the legs received in a slotted guide member in the body, depending arms on the crank shafts for the rear legs, pitmen connecting the respective arms with the angle ends of the first mentioned shafts, loosely connected push rods between the crank shafts for the rear legs and the crank shafts for the front legs, pivoted rollers on the outer ends of all of the legs, and clutch means between the rear legs and the rollers for holding the rollers against turning when' the rear legs are moved rearwardly of the body and for permitting the turning of the said rollers when the said rear legs are moved forwardly of the body. 2. A mechanical toy including a hollow body having a pair of fore legs and a pair of hind legs, pedals on the opposite sides of the body between the legs, a crank shaft journaled in bearings in the body for each of the legs, a shaft journaled in the body for each of the pedals and each of said shafts having an angle end, the crank shafts for the rear legs having depending angularly disposed arms,'pitmen connecting said arms with the respective angle ends ofk the mentioned shafts, lugs on the rear legs received in slotted guides in the body, a frame pivotally connected in the body and supporting the bearings for the front crank shafts, lugs on the forelegs guided in slots in said frame, loosely connected push and pull rods between the rear and front crank shafts and a ball and lsocket joint connecting said rods with the front crank shaft, a standard arising from the frame and passing through a bearing opening in the top of lthe toy figure, a handle thereon, rollers having compressible tread portions pivoted to .the outer ends of the legs, and clutch means between certain of said rollers and certain of the legs for permitting the turning of the rollers in one direction and for preventing the turning of the rollers in another direction.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

`or-IAieLns lMnLvrN DAHL. 

